Category Archives: Brain Health

Fish oil is one of those supplements that everyone should be taking, especially if you are concerned about aging and memory loss. Two studies from The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition indicated that Omega-3 fatty acid consumption slows age-related cognitive decline.

One study, conducted in theNetherlands, tracked the fish consumption of 210 healthy men age 70 to 89 over a five-year period. All of the men started the study with stable cognitive function. At the study’s conclusion, the men who did not consume any fish (which is an excellent source of EPA and DHA omega-3s) experienced cognitive decline four times greater than men who consumed fish on a regular basis. In this study, a clear dose-response relationship demonstrated that daily consumption of a total of 400 mg of EPA and DHA omega-3s was protective against decline in cognitive function.

A second study, conducted in the US, followed over 2000 middle-aged adults over nine years. They found that by the end of the study, those who had higher blood levels of omega-3s had significantly better verbal fluency than those with low levels.

The best source of Omega-3s is fish, however pollutants such as mercury, dioxins, and polychlorinated biphenols are showing up in this invaluable food source. A safer alternative is to take a high-quality fish oil supplement, which is molecularly distilled to remove the toxins and heavy metals. Fish oil has a wide variety of proven health benefits, so I recommend taking 3-4 grams of fish oil daily for brain health, heart health and joint health.